The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia is a international leader in the fight against racism. The Museum was founded on the idea that everyday racist items can be used to teach visitors how to recognize and confront racism. Thousands of Jim Crow era artifacts that belittle African-Americans are housed in the Museum.

Since 1996, the Museum has been housed in a single small room at Ferris State University. Our goal is to raise $1.2 million to give more people -- including school children, scholars and college students -- an opportunity to learn about racism through a major expansion of the displays in a new location. The $1.2 million will fund the expansion of floor space in a new location from a mere 500 square feet to 2,100 square feet.

The newly designed and expanded space will allow for larger groups and individual walk-in visits, which currently are not possible. Walk-in hours will make it feasible for faculty members to use the Museum as a teaching resource and open the door for visitors from across Michigan and the Midwest.

The new Museum's exhibits will tell six important stories:

Origins of Jim Crow

Jim Crow and Violence

Jim Crow and Anti-Black Imagery

Battling Jim Crow Imagery

Attacking Jim Crow Segregation

Moving Beyond Jim Crow

These stories will provide a powerful experience of what it was like to be a Black American under Jim Crow segregation and how racism lingers -- subtly and not so subtly -- today. The new Museum will feature a learning center, reference materials, and a forum for collaborative work with high schools, universities, government agencies and human right organizations.

How You Can Help

The Jim Crow Museum is the largest publicly accessible collection of racist artifacts in the country. With expanded space and greatly enhanced multi-media displays, the Museum will promote racial tolerance by helping people understand the historical and contemporary expressions of intolerance. You can help us turn that dream into a reality.